Removing labels on lenses

[kzphoto]

I ordered a 90mm f/2.8 Hexanon - M from KEH and I'm loving it. Really nice and sharp, and the built in hood is always nice to have. Problem is, someone attached an address label to the lens, right under the hood and it makes retracting the hood problematic. I would like to remove the label without harming the finish / the lens itself. How would I go about doing so?

~kz.

 

[Merkin]

this is probably not the best way, but I would probably use a fingernail or thumbnail to peel off the label, and i would use a small amount of non-acetone nail polish remover on a q tip to remove the remaining residue, being careful to not let it run in to the lens.

 

[rlouzan]

A Drop of Ronsonol Lighter Fuel on a Q-Tip

 

[TEZillman]

Remove as much of the label as possible with your fingernail, then use goo gone, which is a citrus based adhesive remover available in hardware stores, on a q-tip to remove the adhesive.

 

[Richard G]

Eucalyptus oil.

 

[kzphoto]

Gentlemen, thank you for your responses. I'm trying out some goo gone as we speak, will attempt to remove the label in a few minutes.

~kz.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Gentlemen, thank you for your responses. I'm trying out some goo gone as we speak, will attempt to remove the label in a few minutes.

~kz.

Pretty much all the solvents mentioned will work, as they will all dissolve the stickum used to glue down stickers. However, I think I'd avoid using acetone -- since it can also dissolve things like some plastics, the better enamel paints, and the cements holding the elements of some lenses in place.

 

[dmr]

There is (used to be) a product called Tape-Off which is/was a non-nasty solvent used to remove adhesive tape residue and it worked quite well on sticky labels as well. I haven't seen this since I worked in the hospital lab, however, many years ago.

 

[FallisPhoto]

Acetone can also dissolve some camera bodies (I know a guy who tried to use it to remove superglue residue from an Olympus XA -- it was a disaster in every respect). It's just not a particularly camera-friendly solvent.